ICHNEUMON. 



GENERIC CHARACTER. 



Antennae more than twenty-jointed ; abdomen 

 elipsoidal, composed of more than five segments, 

 and attached to the thorax by a portion only, of 

 its transverse diameter, by an abrupt slender 

 peduncle ; all the wings having very distinct 

 nervures ; extremity of the abdomen of the female 

 very slightly compressed, not obliquely truncated ; 

 oviduct concealed, or hardly prominent. 



OBSERVATIONS. 



As originally instituted by Linne, the genus 

 of this name was extremely abundant in species, 

 and although many divisions have been made by 

 Fabricius and others, the species are still nume- 

 rous. As I adopt the genus, it corresponds with 

 that of Fabricius and Latreille, and with Cryptus 

 as defined by Lamarck. 



These insects perform an important part in 

 the operations of nature, inasmuch, as they seem 

 destined to limit the increase of Lepidopterous 



PLATE XXII. 



